Trust in the Divine Mercy
Gratitude for God's Gifts in your Life
by Fr. Adrian Farrelly OP
We feel good when someone says “Thank You”. You know you are appreciated and your kindness has been acknowledged. I knew an American priest who used give retreats in Ireland. He was always grateful for any little thing you would do. Not only would he say ‘thank you’ once, he would say it three times – “thank you, thank you, thank you!” He always made me feel good about myself. Saying ‘thanks’ goes a long way.
Entrust Your Day to the Lord
by Fr. Eamonn Bourke
Depressing Commercial News
Listening to the commercial news broadcasters every day, you would form the impression that we live in a dark sinister world, where there are no good and decent people left. After we watch the news, we are left anxious and even a little depressed as there seems to be nothing but bad news everywhere. People dying, violence, etc, often fill our screens and we wonder what it’s all about. Newspapers, TV or radio rarely bring good news. The more dramatic the better. “If it bleeds it leads” as the newspaper adage goes. News editors need people to read or listen to what they’re selling or else they’re out of a job.
Everyone is all too aware of the painful side of being a human. Feeling afraid or sad or angry is agony and we will do anything to make it stop, which can actually make things even worse. One of the true joys of being a Christian is being able to turn to Jesus and seek comfort from Him.
by Fr. Brian Doyle OP
Each of the Gospels records the day Jesus asked His Disciples what were people saying about Him. Jesus began by asking, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asked them, “But you, who do you say that I am?” [Matt. 16:15]
When we think of our favourite saints, we tend to imagine that they all spent their whole lives living in serene peace and that everything was rosy in the garden all the time. When we look at their photographs, artwork or statues, we might be tempted to think that they lived in pure spiritual bliss.
The Beautiful Heart of St. Faustina
On the 27th February 1938, St. Faustina recorded in her Diary, ‘Today, I went to confession to Father Andrasz. I did as Jesus wanted. After confession, a surge of light filled my soul. Then I heard a voice, “Because you are a child, you shall remain close to My Heart. Your simplicity is more pleasing to Me than your mortifications”. (Diary 1617)
“I learned how much we need perseverance in prayer and that our salvation often depends on such difficult prayer” (St. Faustina - Diary 157)
When We Pray
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, when speaking about prayer, has a really wonderful sentence which says that, “prayer is our response to the God, who has already entered the reality of our existence”. In other words, when we pray, we are responding to God’s loving invite, which is being continually offered to us.
Perfect Families by Fr. John Harris
Over the holidays, I met with some friends and we were talking about events during the past year. One friend, who has a very unhappy marriage, asked, ‘why people continue to tell lies about life?’ Concerned, we asked her what she meant. She said that people continue to talk about love, marriage and families, as if they are all meant to be perfect but our lived experiences tell us a very different story.
Recollection by Fr. Eamonn Burke
No time to pray
Our days are often filled with so many things to do. No matter what age you are, or stage in life, busyness seems to be the hallmark of all our lives. We might not even be filling our days with important or wholesome things, but the days just seem to waft by.
by Fr. John Harris OP
During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we are all invited to go on ‘The Journey to Mercy’. Very often, mercy can seem to be something outside of ourselves. It can seem like a thing to be received, or given away. It is more true to see mercy as a journey. It is the Christian’s journey towards trust.
Many of us are all familiar with the expression, “To err is human, but to forgive is Divine.” This basically means that, as humans, we all make mistakes, but the ability to forgive those mistakes does not come naturally but is a gift from God. Christ only taught us one prayer, the “Our Father” At the heart of this prayer are the lines “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Our Merciful Saviour, Jesus Christ, came into the world to establish His Kingdom filled with Mercy, Compassion, Joy, Justice, Peace and Love, the Kingdom of Paradise. To deepen our faith and foster holiness of life among us, He used parables to make known to us the mysteries of God’s Kingdom.
Read more: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
To be in control of our lives is something that we all desire. Indeed, we all spend time planning for the future and trying to ensure that we will have an enjoyable, secure and prosperous life. When we are not in control of a given situation, we tend to become anxious and worried.
When we pray for mercy what exactly are we praying for? This may seem like a strange question but it is possibly one of the most important questions being asked and argued about in the Church at this time. Does mercy change us or allow us to stay as we are?
In her Diary, St. Faustina recorded the details of a vision she had of Our Blessed Lady and the Child Jesus at the Shrine of Ostra Brama in Vilnius, Lithuania on November 15, 1935.
The following are a selection of passages from the Dairy that refer to suffering. The word 'suffering' appears over 450 times in the Diary of St. Faustina and undoubtedly St. Faustina had her fair share of suffering during her earthly life.
Read more: Suffering - Passages from the Diary of St. Faustina
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone
by Fr. John Harris
Confession - God Never Tires by Fr. John Harris
Same Old Sins...Again?
Do you get tired of asking for mercy? How often have you struggled with some sin in your life and you feel like a hypocrite going back to confession, time and time again with the same sin, asking for mercy?
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Our Lady Untier of Knots
Unfailing Novena to Our Lady Untier (Undoer) of Knots, a wonderful nine-day prayer to Our Lady. This is Pope Francis' favourite Novena. One of the fastest growing Marian Devotions in the world.
Click this link to view: Our Lady Untier of Knots Prayer Book